Correction and Retraction

The Journal of Community Development Diversity (JCDD) is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of scholarly publishing and maintaining a complete, accurate, and trustworthy academic record. When errors or ethical issues arise in published content, we are committed to addressing them promptly, transparently, and in accordance with best practices outlined by organizations such as the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

This policy defines our procedures for issuing Corrections (Errata) and Retractions.

A. CORRECTION (ERRATUM)

A Correction is published to address an error or omission in a published article that does not fundamentally alter its conclusions, validity, or significance.

1. Grounds for Issuing a Correction:

  • Minor errors in authorship (e.g., misspelling of a name, incorrect affiliation).

  • Small, non-critical errors in data, figures, or tables that do not affect the interpretation of the results.

  • Omissions in the Acknowledgements or Funding statements.

  • Typographical errors that change scientific meaning but are easily correctable.

2. Procedure:

  1. The error can be identified by the authors, readers, or editors.

  2. The concern is submitted to the Editor-in-Chief.

  3. The editorial team, in consultation with the authors, assesses the impact of the error.

  4. If the error is deemed minor, a "Correction Notice" (Erratum) is drafted.

  5. The notice is linked bidirectionally to the original article (and vice-versa).

  6. The corrected version of the article PDF may be re-issued with a watermark (e.g., "Corrected and Republished on [Date]") and an explanation of the changes.

B. RETRACTION

A Retraction is a public statement that a published article is fundamentally flawed and its findings or conclusions can no longer be relied upon. Retractions are used to alert the community to severe issues.

1. Grounds for Retraction:

  • Clear Evidence of Fraudulent Data or Fabrication.

  • Plagiarism (unattributed copying of significant portions) discovered post-publication.

  • Redundant Publication (the article had been published elsewhere without proper attribution/cross-linking).

  • Major Ethical Violations (e.g., unethical research involving humans or animals, lack of informed consent).

  • Major Errors (e.g., in methodology or analysis) that invalidate the article's core conclusions.

  • Legal Issues (e.g., defamation, copyright infringement, legal rulings).

2. Initiation of Retraction:

A retraction can be initiated by:

  • The authors (or their institution) voluntarily acknowledging a major flaw.

  • The Editor-in-Chief or editorial board based on evidence provided by readers, reviewers, or through internal investigation.

  • A finding from the authors' institution following a formal investigation.

3. Procedure and Transparency:

  1. An investigation is conducted following COPE guidelines. The authors are given an opportunity to respond.

  2. If retraction is deemed necessary, a clear, standardized "Retraction Notice" is published.

  3. The notice will:

    • Have its own title and DOI (e.g., "Retraction: [Original Article Title]").

    • Be published in a new issue and listed in the Table of Contents.

    • State the reason for retraction unequivocally (e.g., "due to fabricated data," "due to plagiarism," "due to a critical error in the statistical analysis").

    • Clearly identify the retracted article by its full citation and DOI.

    • Be linked bidirectionally to the original article. The original article PDF will be prominently watermarked on every page with "RETRACTED" and will host a link to the retraction notice.

  4. The original article remains accessible in its retracted form to maintain the scholarly record, but its status is made unmistakably clear.

C. EXPRESSION OF CONCERN

In complex cases where an investigation is ongoing but a conclusive outcome may take considerable time, the journal may issue an "Expression of Concern." This temporary notice alerts readers to the ongoing scrutiny of the published work. It will be replaced by a final Correction or Retraction once the investigation is concluded.

D. AUTHOR INVOLVEMENT AND DISPUTES

  • Authors are expected to cooperate fully with any investigation.

  • In cases where authors disagree with a retraction decision, their objections may be published as an addendum to the retraction notice.

  • Retractions are typically issued with the agreement of all authors. If agreement cannot be reached, the Editor-in-Chief may proceed with the retraction, stating the reason and noting the authors' disagreement.

E. NOTIFICATION TO INDEXING BODIES

JCDD will notify relevant indexing and abstracting services (e.g., Google Scholar, Dimensions, Garuda) about all published Corrections and Retractions to ensure the broader scholarly ecosystem is updated.

Summary: Our Correction and Retraction Policy ensures that JCDD responds responsibly to post-publication issues. Our primary goals are to correct the record, maintain transparency, and protect the community from relying on unreliable science, all while preserving the historical integrity of the published literature.